The Beast
by PrincessFlame91
Summary: Ken has a problem. Bloodlust. Luckily, someone unexpected and whom he admires is there to help him. Ran realizes that he has concern and even love towards Ken. Will he act on it and risk the Pain? Will their decision work out? Discont'd. Lack of response
1. Prologue

KEN'S POV

Something weird is going on with me. It's not normal! I wake up in the middle of the night, wanting the feel of blood, fresh and warm, dripping through my fingers. My fingers are twitching right now from just thinking of it.

This shouldn't be happening to me! I shouldn't be enjoying death like this! But still… The thrill of feeling my bugnuks rip through my victims body; to feel their skin tearing at my hands, to see the blood spray from heir mouth, to hear their last gurgling breath as they choke on their blood, and even just to smell and practically taste the coppery scent of blood… It excites me so much!

There are times when I decide to go to Ran to ask him for help, but I always wimp out at the last moment. I know that I should be able to trust him with this. Hell, it's not even that I don't trust him. I mean, come on! After all, he is basically our team's leader. But then, I imagine his eyes looking down on me in disappointment and disgust. I'm scared of him seeing me as just another one of those dark beasts that supposedly deserve their death.

What if I become Weiß's next mission? I would never know until much to late… After all, there are a ton of times when the other three can have a mission briefing when I am not there. I mean, well, I do spend most of my time with my little soccer kiddos.

Am I a danger to the rest of Weiß? Is it possible that I might completely lose control in the middle of a mission and just see everyone as just other targets to kill, including Ran, Yohji, and Omi? What do I do!

* * *

RAN'S POV

Something seems to be wrong with Ken. I am often wakening during the night to the sound of him prowling around his room. As well as that, during our missions, he appears to get too much pleasure in his kills. He gets this strange animalistic gleam in his eyes that seem to be starving and craving for more blood. I am concerned about him. He seems to look forward to missions way too much. He carries them out with too much vigor. I am afraid we are losing him to madness.

There are times when it seems as though he is going to talk to me about something, but he always flees before reaching me. I want to help him, but I do not wish to force him. He will confide in me when he is ready. I really appreciate Omi for leaving Ken's… peculiarity out of the mission reports. I am sure that if Manx found out, it would be certain that though she means well, Ken will be sent for counseling, and I don't quite trust Kritiker doctors with dealing with Ken's mind. It's delicate as it is. They would most likely just muddle it more than it already is.

I truly do hope he comes to one of us soon, though. If he goes on along this path of deterioration, I cannot be certain of the rest of our team's safety. What can I do to get him to trust me? Can the damage done to him even be reversed? What am I to do?

* * *

KEN'S POV

We have a mission tonight. My body is all tensed up. I can't wait for it to become night! But this is what I should be scared of… I shouldn't be looking forward to the mission like this! But it's the only way I can relieve my tension. I can't get rid of it these days. Oh boy, do I try, though! I've tried running in the morning, playing soccer with the kids, working out, hell, I've even tried fighting with Yohji! Ran wasn't too happy with that when he found out about it, though, so I stopped using fights to help relieve my tension. I've probably already crossed the line of being a liability; I don't want to be a nuisance, too! But, I dunno how else to get rid of this tension!

Maybe I should try talking to Aya about it… Well, not my mission craving, but this tension that just won't leave me alone… I'm sure he'll know what to do. He seems like a very smart guy. I hope he knows what to do…

What am I talking about! Of course he knows how! In the Koneko, during missions, hell, even in our normal… err, well as-normal-as-they-get lives, he has a solution to all of our problems! He saved our asses tons of times during missions and even patched up plenty of our fights between us, too! I know that I might sound like a bumbling idiot, but it's true! I can't remember a time when he hasn't known what to do!

I'm glad he's our leader… I dunno if we'd still be alive if he wasn't…

* * *

RAN'S POV 

There is a mission tonight. Ken seems very agitated. He even snapped at Omi earlier when all Omi wanted to know was what Ken wanted for lunch. Now Omi believes that he did something wrong to make Ken angry with him. I'm considering talking to Ken about this, whether he wants to or not. The other day, he even picked a fight with Yohji.

I really wish that he didn't resort to harming our team with his anxiousness. I do know that he's trying, though. He runs in the morning, spends more time with his soccer brats, and I believe that he works out in the morning, too. I just wish that one of these methods would actually work on him…

What would work on his, though? I don't believe that he will be able to sit still long enough to meditate… but then, I didn't think that my sister would be able to still, and she can meditate just as well as I can. So maybe I should try that method with him. Perhaps I can even try aromatherapy on him. But then, it's the need for violence that causes this tension in him, so maybe I should attempt training with him, and perhaps teach him how to use the katana, if he seems ready to accept the life style of a samurai. Or perhaps I shouldn't bather teaching him the way of the samurai… Why have one more person tainting the honor of being a samurai with so much blood? I hope my decisions, whatever they end up to be, don't come back to haunt me…

I'm standing outside of his door now, waiting for him to open it… I hope I have made the right decisions…

* * *

_Next time…**The Confrontation**_

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All right. So how was it? This is my first Weiß Kreuz fic, so I'm a bit nervous about it… Let alone the fact that I haven't seen/read all of the series… Yeah, so let me know what you think about it. I hope this becomes as much of a success as my Fruits Basket one did. 

Oh, btw... Next chapters are going to be in third person. Oh, and take note of this for the future: When Ken says 'Aya' he's talking about 'Ran'. When he says 'Aya-chan', he's talking about Aya, Ran's little sister who's in a coma. Ya. Thought to let you know. Seems to be a major confusion causer in Weiß fics. Why, oh why did he have to use his sister's name... lol!

Just leave me a review of what you think. If possible, canyou give me a rating, based on a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being 'it ought to be taken off', 10 being 'OMG! I loved it!' Sorry if I seem to be asking for a lot… yeah, well, I'll stop babbling now…

-PrincessFlame91


	2. 1: The Encounter

**A/N:** Hey. I'm back. I guess I decided to try to finish up this baby! Heh heh! Yup! Hmm… Well, I just realized that I left out the disclaimer. Well, here goes…

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the Weiß boys. They belong solely to Koyasu and his brilliant mind for making such a wonderful anime that practically begs for yaoi to come true. I am merely a lowly writer with no skill who will try her best to amuse what readers she gets, even if her poor, meek writing skills will at least provoke some laughs…

* * *

Ran paused outside of Ken's bedroom door, wondering what he should do. However, before he could come to a decision, the door opened, revealing Ken. Ran froze, at loss of what to do. Ken cocked his head at Ran's uncharacteristic, statue-like pose in front of his bedroom door. 

"Umm…Aya," he said, "are you okay? Do you need something?" Ran snapped out of his frozen stage, and finally looked at Ken… And blushed as he realized that Ken was scantly dressed, only donned in a towel wrapped loosely around his waist. Ran did his best not to stare at Ken, or to follow that trail of hair that led to a very appealing place. He realized that somehow, of all the times he could have chosen, he had managed to choose the time Ken usually bathed to talk to him. He mentally cursed himself for his stupidity, and quickly worked to amend his mistakes.

"I want you to come talk to me when you're finished here." Ran said. "I'll be in my room. Just knock before you enter. Not coming is not an option, Siberian." He added. Ken smiled softly at Ran's blush and apparent attempt to regain his dignity. His smile wilted slightly and faded as he considered why Aya would have a need to talk to him. 'Is he gonna tell me to stay away from Weiß? Will the next time Omi sees my body be when I'm bloody and dead?'

Ran noticed Ken's fearful look. 'Why is he so terrified? Perhaps it's from asking him to come to my personal quarters… It certainly isn't familiar territory to him. I better fix this'

"If you don't wish to come to my quarters, we can go to the park or someplace to talk." Ran said, aghast, as Ken seemed to become even more terrified. Maybe it would be best if he gave Ken room to make a suggestion. He'd do it bluntly, to avoid any unwanted double-meanings. "Choose wherever you're most comfortable at, and let me know. We can talk there. I just want to help you Ken." He added after a pause.

Ken relaxed as he realized that Aya wasn't going to hurt, or worse, kill him. When he had first suggested going to the park to talk, Ken had wondered if then had been for easy disposal and clean-up after ridding Weiß of him… permanently… He was shocked though, that Aya had shown concern to him. Ken had thought that _he_ would have to be the one to ask to talk. He had definitely not anticipated Aya caring about him enough to confront him about it. As well as that, Aya had shown concern towards him, not the team. Ken felt, well, honored that Aya would spare some concern for him.

Ran looked at Ken, a bit worried. He had been standing still for a minute, now. Perhaps he had been given too much to think about, Ran thought with an inward smile. Omi and Yohji constantly made cracks about Ken's intelligence. Ran supposed that they had begun rubbing off on him, for him to be having such fond thoughts as those that were currently going through his mind, spreading a strange warmth that Ran had only felt with Aya before that.

"I'll be in the study." Ran finally said, in an attempt to break the stifling silence. "Just come and let me know where you wish to go talk." Ken's eyes refocused and he nodded his agreement to Aya, blushing when he realized how long he had been standing there. 'God, I must seem so stupid to him. I hope that he doesn't believe Omi and Yohji's jokes about my intelligence…'

Ken stepped past Ran to get to the bathroom, practically tripping over the hallway rug in the process. Ran chuckled and caught Ken around the waist before he bashed his head on the wall. Amusement shone in his eyes as Ken jerked away from Ran, blushing madly.

Ken quickly dashed into the bathroom, inwardly groaning. 'Great. Once again, I humiliate myself in front of Aya. Why do I have to be such a fucking klutz? How the hell am I gonna be able to look at him now?'

If Ken had waited for just a few more seconds before fleeing, he would had seen the rare warm smile that graced Ran's lips. Ran shook his head, amused by Ken's hasty escape. 'I hope he's not too embarrassed when we talk.' Ran thought. 'I don't believe that I can keep a straight face if Ken can't stop blushing like that.'

Ran went to the study to wait for Ken to arrive. While waiting, he took a poetry book from the bookshelf, and curled up comfortably on the couch with cat-like grace. A few minutes later, if one looked in, one could find Ran deeply interested in the book he was reading, a small, fond smile teasing the tips of his mouth as fond thoughts of Ken went through his head.

* * *

And so there's chapter one. Hope you all like it! Well, I'm off. Don't expect any updates until July. I'm gonna be in India, and although there are computers there, between family and sightseeing, I wouldn't get the time to do anything anyways. I'll write it out in my notebook on the plane, though, so there should be an update soon after June. Well, g2g now. L8rz! 

By the way, don't forget to leave me a review! I decided to be nice and leave a chapter even though I didn't get much feedback on my last entry. AndI know that people ahve looked at it, becuase when I looked at the stats for it, there were**_86_** hits for it. So just leave a small review. It doesn't need to be a paragraph or anything. Just a few sentences, and a rating from (-)1-10(+)if you feel like it.

Well, I've gotta go and help my mom cook now. We're gonna have guests over. Yay! TTYL8rz!

-PrincessFlame91


	3. 2: Decisions, Decisions

A/N: Hey! I'm back! Yay! You all should be so thrilled! I know that you missed me _soo_ much… Ya… I need to get a life, right? I'm sure that you all have much better things to do than to be moping over a writer on vacation. If you don't… Well, I just gotta say that I feel sorry for you. Oh, and get a life, though I do appreciate you missing me. Hmm…

I hope you all are enjoying my fic. I'm having fun writing it, and I know that I shouldn't really let what people think of my writing style and such affect and dampen me, but I can't really help it. I guess I'm just a self-conscious person…

Yeah, well, now that you know that I need moral support, you should be able to tell that I need reviews to egg me on. It's okay if you're criticizing me a little. I didn't really trust my other fic, because no one told me any way to improve it. Well, not that I remember off the bat, anyways… My memory's not that sharp… LoL! Well, I'll get onto the disclaimer, and then the fic, even though I know that you all enjoy reading me drone on, and on, and on, and on, and…

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Weiß. If I did, I would be… Well, not where I am now… I'll probably be in a nice brick house. Well, maybe mansion… I always liked those…

* * *

Ken finished his shower and quickly got himself ready to go and talk to Ran. He felt this odd desire to dress good to impress Ran but ignored it, since he had a feeling that Ran would notice if he didn't look sloppy for no reason at all. He took a deep breath in the hallway outside the door to the study to calm his nerves. Even if he didn't believe that Ran was going to hurt him, he was still worried about… something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Ken blushed as he entered the study and found an extremely relaxed Ran reading on the couch. He couldn't help but to notice how beautiful Ran looked, curled up on the couch, like a wild cat sprawled in the sun in the middle of its territory. He also couldn't keep his eyes from being drawn to the pale alabaster he could see exposed as Ran's shirt rode up from the position he was in.

Ran glanced up as Ken entered the study. He barely contained his grin as he noticed Ken's immediate blush. He had never realized that Ken was so easily embarrassed. Regrettably, now was not the time to be fooling around with that recently found information. Perhaps later, when their issues were more or less resolved… However, all he could do in the meantime was to attempt to resolve their current crisis.

"So," Ran started, "have you decided where you wish for us to talk?" He hid his smirk at Ken's renewed blush. Unable to resist poking some fun at Ken, Ran began to tease him. "Ken, if you don't stop heating the place up like this, I'll have no choice but to dump you into the lake. You're wasting our air conditioning, and I, for one, do not feel like paying for that."

Ken froze and could only stare at Ran as he realized what had just transpired. 'Oh my God! The world is gonna end! The sky is gonna fall! The pigs will fly! Hell's gonna freeze ov-… well, it already did, didn't it? At least, that's how I saw Aya as, with his red hair and cold attitude… Oh my God! We're gonna die!' Ken was snapped out of his mental panic when he felt a hand rest on his forehead. He peered up through his bangs to see a smirking Ran who was trying to feign concern.

"Ken," Ran said, "you need to calm down. You'll work yourself into a fever if you don't relax." Ken could only stare at Ran with wide eyes, dumbfounded, once again at awe that Ran was making a joke. It seemed that the impossible was coming true. 'What's up with him?' Ken thought. 'Why is he being so casual with me?'

Ran saw Ken's disbelieving look and inwardly sighed. 'Am I really so uptight,' Ran though, 'that Ken can't even believe that I can joke around? Wow. Perhaps I need to loosen up some. I've heard Ken and Yohji talking about what a prick I am many times before. I didn't realize that they really meant it…' Ran's smirk wilted and died out. He decided to just get on with the talk with Ken.

"Have you figured out where it is that you wish for us to talk?" Ran asked. Ken noticed how Ran's voice had become flat. On sudden whim, Ken decided to tease Ran back, hoping to see the smile light up Ran's face again.

"Aya," he started, "if you don't relax a little, you'll make it so cold in here, that we'll have to turn the heat on in the middle of the summer! It's okay for you to smile and joke around and be… normal and everything. You just surprised me a bit." Ran relaxed slightly, and offered Ken a small smile.

"If you're trying to distract me from having our talk," Ran said, eyes dancing slightly, "then I hate to break it to you, but it's not working. Now tell me where you want to talk." Ran chuckled, as Ken seemed to deflate. He grew serious again as he recalled the reason he wanted to talk to Ken so much. "If you can't decide, I can decide for you, or we can just talk here. I don't really care where we talk, Ken, so long as we talk. I need to discuss something with you, and it'll be a bit hard if you're all tense the whole time."

Ken sighed as he realized that he wouldn't be able to escape having the talk with Ran. But… he _could_ make it as hard as possible for Ran. But why should he do that? After all, Ran just wanted to help him. He had said as much himself. Besides, wasn't he considering talking to Ran in the first place anyways?

"You had better be considering where to talk," Ran warned, "or do I have to choose someplace for you? Say, like the cemetery?" He paused to let that suggestion sink into Ken before recommending another. "Or maybe even a sword shop…?" Ran couldn't hold back his chuckle after seeing Ken's horrified expression. "Just choose, Ken, and you won't have to worry about ghosts. Or me running you through with a katana." Ran added as an afterthought.

Ken quickly raked his mind, trying to figure out a suitable place. 'Damn it! Of all times to get a brain fart!' Ken blurted out the first thing that came to mind when Ran cleared his throat

"Umm… How about the café?"

* * *

_Next time… **The Talk**_

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All right now. Chapter 2 done and in. Hope you all are actually reading this. As I mentioned earlier, I need moral support. Don't expect me to continue otherwise. Well, I'm done babbling for now. TTYL8rz!

Signed,

PrincessFlame91


	4. 3: The Confession

A/N: Well, I've decided to return. Thank you all so much for letting me know that my work is appreciated, and my special thanks to Bweiss, for he/she (I have no idea which gender, and I don't want to assume) pointed out some points of history that really helped to boost up my moral. It's not that the rest of you who reviewed had no part in bringing me back—and don't worry, you did—it's just that Bweiss really seemed to put some effort into encouraging me. Kisses to all of you who replied, and extra hugs to Bweiss. Well, I'd better stop rambling now, or I'll never stop gushing… Enjoy!

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Disclaimer: I don't own Weiß. Never did, never will.

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"How about the café?" Ken blurted out. Ran froze, but then smiled.

"Of course." Ran said. "I'm glad that you finally settled on a place to talk. How about we go tomorrow? They're already closed right now." Ken relaxed, nodded, and agreed.

"Sure," he said, "why not?' Ran examined Ken, trying to determine by Ken's eyes alone whether he would attempt to escape or not. Once assured, he allowed Ken to leave and get ready for their mission that night.

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After the mission, Ran lay awake in bed, thinking over all that had happened during the mission. It only assured him that he had made the right decision in deciding to talk to Ken. It would not be acceptable for Ken to be so out of control as he was during the mission. Not only was it dangerous, but it was also unnerving to see Ken being so savage and bloodthirsty in his kills. Just remembering how Ken had acted sent shivers down Ran's spine.

God, he really needed to talk to Ken if Ken was going to be like this during missions. It was too risky to he rest of Weiß, as well as for Ken, for that matter. Kritiker would not take to kindly to Ken if they found out that Ken had gone berserk. If Kritiker found out that Ken posed as a threat, then Ken was done for, and there would be no saving him, no matter what Ran did. Ran hoped that it would end up being so.

Ran suddenly shot strait up as he heard an odd whimpering coming from Ken's room, and then what sounded like a struggle. Ran quickly crept from his room and silently approached Ken. He paused before opening the door, for he could discern only silence beyond it.

Just as Ran was about to pass it off as his imagination and return to his room and his nice cool sheets, he heard Ken thrashing around again. This time, Ran didn't hesitate, and just barged into Ken's room. Contrary to what Ran had expected, Ken wasn't alone. The struggle he heard wasn't against an outside force, but rather, it seemed to be in Ken's dreams.

Ran studied Ken lying there tangled in his sheets, completely oblivious to the fact that there was another person in his personal quarters. Ran held back his gasp of surprise when his scrutiny reached Ken's face. Agony and horror filled it, leaving hardly any room for any other emotion, except for regret.

Unable to stand to bear the grimace of pain marring Ken's features, Ran reached over and gently shook Ken awake. Ran quickly jumped back when Ken shot up, eyes wide and unseeing, skin shining with a thin layer of sweat. Ran gently placed a hand on Ken's shoulder, hoping that it would bring Ken back to reality.

Luckily, it worked. Ken finally noticed that there was someone else in his room. Ran hoped that the reaction that he received was not what Ken did to everyone who came into his room while he was asleep.

Ken leaned into Ran's hand, slightly cuddling it, ironically, ran thought, like the way in which a kitten would. Ken turned slightly to look into Ran's eyes, a silent plea in his own.

"Please stay with me." Ken said, his hand reaching up to grasp Ran's own. "Just for tonight to keep the nightmares away. Please?" Ken's warm, chocolate brown eyes, devoid of all blood-thirst, but filled with torment, instead. Ran found that he was unable to resist Ken's anguished gaze so he sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Ken's hair, hoping to calm him down. Ken leaned into Ran's touch, hoping that Ran wouldn't get up and walk away, leaving him alone to deal with his nightmares, with no one to save him.

After a while, Ran shifted so that he was not actually sitting on the bed, instead of bracing his weight on his feet, trying not to fall off of the edge of the mattress. Ken stirred from his light slumber at the movement and looked up at Ran with sleep-blurred eyes. Ran just shook his head and continued caressing Ken's hair. Ken shifted slightly so that Ran would have room to lie down. Ran noticed the faint blush that danced across Ken's bronze cheeks.

"If you're gonna stay the night," Ken said, "the you should at least be comfortable." Ran noted how the blush that had graced Ken's cheeks darkened a bit and chuckled a bit. He eased himself down to a comfortable position and was surprised when Ken hesitantly scooted over and curled up against his side. "Are you okay with me being this close?" Ken asked. "It's okay if you aren't. I know that you might not share my preferences."

Ran froze as he realized what Ken was implying. Ken wasn't straight. Luckily, neither was Ran. In fact, he housed a secret fondness for Ken that wasn't all that brotherly. Unfortunately, Ken took Ran's stiffness the wrong way, and thought that he had sickened Ran.

Ken stumbled out of the bed, eyes wide with horror. "I'm sorry!" He said. "I didn't mean to disgust you. Um, I'll leave you alone now. Sorry for bothering you. Um, yeah. See ya later!" Ken stumbled towards the door, cursing himself for leaving all his clothes on the ground, instead of putting them in the hamper, as Omi had often yelled at him to do. He was interrupted during his curse over muddy pants from the kids' game the week before by a firm hand on his wrist that pulled him back to the bed.

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_Next time…**The Reassurance**_

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Well, hope all of you enjoyed this. Don't worry if the quality of writing sounds bad right now. This is from when I first started to story, so it's a bit… err… bad. You can expect better writing in the near future. By the way, for future reference: I will post a new chapter every other week or so. I have a few chapters written out right now, but I figure it's better to spread them out than to have a sudden gap in the middle because I'm going through writer's block. Well… leave a review if you're up to it… Let me know if I'm doing good, or if there are some areas of improvement. I won't go back to former chapters to change things, but I will do my best to prevent it from occurring in my future writing. Well, until next chapter…

Signed,

PrincessFlame91


	5. 4: The Reassurance

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. I hope that you enjoy it. I'm having fun writing it, but I feel as though it keeps getting stupider and stupider... Hmm... Let me know if you feel the same. The disclaimer is the same as it has always been. Well, enjoy!

888

888

Ken gasped and then flinched as Ran pulled him back, expecting to hear words of scorn and disgust. The response he did get, however, was one that shocked him so much, that he forgot to take a breath. Ken felt himself being pulled flush against Ran's body. A gasp escaped Ken's parted lips as he felt Ran's arms wrap around him. He turned in Ran's embrace, and turned imploring eyes to Ran.

"Aya," he started, but was cut off by Ran's slender finger on his lips.

"Ran." He told Ken. "Call me Ran. Aya is my sister." He added as an afterthought. Ken looked at Ran, confused and wary over what was happening. Why was Ay- no, Ran being so gentle with him? Didn't Ken repulse him? Or was he going to let Ken down easy, to lessen the damage done to Ken, therefore lessening the damage to the team?

Soft and surprisingly warm lips on his own interrupted his thoughts. Ken had always thought that Ran's lips would be cool, just like Ran's personality. Or rather, what Ken had thought to be his personality. Ken was beginning to understand that the frigidness was a mask. Everything that Ran was doing as of late was turning Ken's earlier perception of him upside-down, right down to his warm, moist tongue running along Ken's lower lip, trying to push past the barrier to enter the warm cavern of Ken's mouth.

Ken automatically let him in, gasping at the electricity that Ran's touch invoked, as well as the passion that it awakened. Soon, the only the thought of Ran ran through Ken's mind. His head, on the other hand, was a whole other matter. As well as that, there were so many emotions running coursing through Ken's body, most of which he didn't recognize, that they were practically choking him. Ken suddenly pulled away, feeling as though the walls were closing in on him.

"Too fast." Ken managed to gasp out, fingers rising to his kiss swollen lips, all the same. Ran just smiled warmly at Ken, not at all annoyed, although he was regretful of rushing Ken like that. Ran pulled Ken into a warm hug and smiled as Ken tucked his head under his chin.

Soon after, the two fell into a warm and comfortable silence, which soon turned into a peaceful sleep, devoid of the recurring nightmare of the dead coming alive to take their revenge, ex-lover Kase along with them.

888

Ken woke up the next morning with the sunrise shining through his window. He felt better rested than he had in a long time. He turned to look beside him, expecting to see Ran, but was torn to find the bed empty. He guessed that once Ran had figured out that he wouldn't get what he wanted from Ken, he left.

Just like Kase. Ken had asked Kase to take it slow, and it had seemed as though Kase was okay with it. But then… the whole soccer scandal happened. Well, at least Tan wasn't hiding how he really felt. It hurt more to be betrayed after sharing a lot of precious and happy memories. Still, it hurt. All Ken had actually asked for was for Ran to stay to keep the nightmares away. Not for Ran to start a relationship with him. He hadn't even been expecting the passionate kiss that Ran had given him.

Ken curled up in the bed in an attempt to fend off the pain, but it didn't seem to help, since the pain was in Ken's heart. Ken wished that he hadn't given his heart that quickly to Ran, but he had already had a crush on Ran, and when Ran had kissed him, Ken had dared to hope, and his heart had gone through his mouth to Ran, only to be chewed up and spat out when he was already vulnerable. Ken curled up tighter, wishing that the pain wasn't so unbearable.

888

Ran came back into Ken room carrying the American breakfast dish that he just made because Ken loved it the best on a tray. He almost dropped the tray in surprise when he found Ken curled up and tangled in the sheets, silent tears running down his cheeks.

Ran quickly put the breakfast tray on the nightstand and pulled Ken into his arms. "Ken," Ran asked, slightly frantic, "what's wrong? Did you have another nightmare? I knew I should've waited for you to wake up before making breakfast." Ran added, his voice laced with regret.

Ken could only cry harder. He was horrified with himself for doubting Ran like that while Ran had been downstairs making them breakfast, and from the smell of it, Ken's favorite dish, too.

"I'm sorry." Ken whimpered. "You just got up, and I already started to doubt you! I feel so awful! I'm sorry. So, so sorr-" Once again, Ken was cut off by the feeling of Ran's finger on his lips. Ken ducked his head, unable to meet Ran's eyes, afraid of what he might find in them. He was not, given the option to attempt to avoid Ran's gaze, however, since Ran was gently tilting Ken's head up with his fingers cradling Ken's chin. Ran softly brushed his lips lightly across Ken's forehead before he spoke.

"Ken," Ran started, "it's not your fault. I should've known not to leave you to wake up alone like that. I knew that your mind was, no, is in a fragile state. I could've at least left you a note. I just didn't expect you to wake up this early. I'm sorry." Ran added, voice soft, silently reprimanding himself inside for leaving Ken alone like that.

Ken crawled over and laid his head in Ran's lap in an attempt to comfort him. "So it's both of our faults." Ken mused. "Mine for jumping to conclusions, and yours for leaving without letting me know. Problem solved." Ken grinned up at Ran, proud to have solved the issue. Ran smiled tenderly at Ken, heart melting at Ken's innocent gaze.

He found himself slowly leaning closer and closer to Ken. Ken's eyes widened slightly at first, but darkened as he relaxed once more. Soon, their lips met, and they were lost in the other's eyes.

Ken still couldn't believe that Ran was actually being so gentle with him. He couldn't believe that Ran seemed to care about him so much.

Ran was glad to be with Ken. He had always had an attraction to Ken, but could never bring himself to pursue his feelings.

The two lovers drowned in the deep affection they felt towards eachother, glad to have it, and willing to go far with it.

The moment was shattered however, when Ken's stomach growled. They broke apart slowly, and Ken grinned sheepishly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. "Sorry," he said, embarrassed, "I guess I'm hungry…"

Ran chuckled and just ruffled up Ken's hair. "Well," he said, "since we're not going to the café for breakfast, we'll just go for lunch and have our talk." Ken nodded, mumbling his assent, though not quite paying attention to Ran, but rather reaching for the food. Ran laughed at Ken's antics and pulled him into a hug.

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_Next Time... **Choices, Choices**_

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Well, there it is. Getting pretty chessey... Hn.

I need a beta reader for this fic. If you're interested, just mention it in your review, and I'll get back to you.

Well, I hope that you enjoyed reading this installment. Don't forget to leave a review on your way out. Oh, and scratch the cat by the door behind its ears.

Signed,

PrincessFlame91


	6. 5: Choices, Choices

Heyy. I'm back. Sorry if you were expecting a new chapter. I was revising this one in my spare time, because after reading a review/flame(?), I realized that I did make some of the characters very OOC, with Ran talking a lot and Ken turning into a sissy. Sorry!

This took so long to finish up on, because I keep this story on a floppy disk, since I have two computers, but I kept leaving it in the old computer that I have upstairs that doesn't even have an internet connection because it's so old, and I'd be downstairs on my new computer, and I'd lack the energy or motivation to go up and get it. The only reason I got to this now is because my sister managed to wake me up at 4 something in the morning by yanking the sheets everywhere, and I couldn't get back to sleep after that, and yeah.

Well, I'll let you get on to the revised version of this chapter then. This note ended up being longer than I had thought it would be.

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**Disclaimer: ** I do not own Weiß. If I did, then it would be a yaoi anime, and it would not be as great of an anime, since I tend to have trouble forming characters strongly.

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After the two finished their breakfast, Ken curled up, content, and laid his head in Ran's lap. Ran absentmindedly played with Ken's hair, his mind not quite focused on anything. Ken's mind, on the other hand, was focused on mischief.

Ran gasped as Ken suddenly buried his face in Ran's bellybutton and blew a raspberry. Ken turned and grinned up at Ran, looking like a mischievous child with his eyes shining as they were. Ran quickly tackled Ken so that Ken was below Ran and planted a raspberry on Ken's neck. However, the raspberry quickly escalated in passion when Ken moaned and arched into Ran, rubbing his pelvis soundly against Ran's abs.

Their passion was hastily interrupted when a gasp that was not one of their own sliced through the air. Their heads shot towards the door and they found a mystified Omi in the doorway. A strange smile was on his face.

"Yay!" Omi exclaimed with sarcastic glee. "Yohji and I aren't so alone anymore! You two are no different! Yippie!" And with that, he ran out of the room with a snort of disgust, muttering words of revulsion behind him. Ran and Ken hear him come across Yohji in the hallway. "You should see them," Omi spat. "They're all over each other like fuckin' bunnies!" And with another snort of disgust, he was off.

Ken pulled away from Ran, face withdrawn. Ran swore. Ken's mind was already fragile as it was. Having half of his 'family' hate him and be sickened by him could be enough to break him beyond repair.

Well, Ken would need something stable in his life, and whether Ken wanted him or not, Ran decided that he would be that thing. He was not going to lose Ken over this. No good having Ken believe that Ran would leave him because of other's opinions and disapproval. No, Ken was going to know that Ran's love for him was deeper than that. Ran refused to let Ken break over Omi's words.

Ran felt Ken's body start to tremble. He quickly pulled Ken into his arms and buried his face in Ken's hair. Ken attempted to pull away from Ran, but Ran wouldn't let him. He just held on to Ken tighter for however much stronger Ken struggled against him. Finally, Ken just gave up and slumped into Ran's arms, his eyes showing how much Omi's words had hurt him.

Ran noticed a shadow in the doorway and saw Yohji standing there. Ran glared at Yohji, just daring him to crumble the already shattered Ken into dust. Yohji held out his hands palms up to show that he was coming in peace. He offered Ran a small smile.

"Don't worry bout me rejecting the two of you," Yohji said. "I'm the same. I go both ways, thought. I usually go to the bi or all men nightclubs. I don't find you disgusting or anything. I'll try to get Omi to see this in a better light. I have a feeling that he's bi too, and just in denial." They heard a strange laugh from the doorway. It was Omi, and he looked like he was about to be sick.

"Great," Omi sneered, "all of you are fags. I'm stuck working with a bunch of freaks. One might kill me in my sleep for being a Takatori, another might kill me from bloodlust, and the other one has the nerve to think that I'm a fag, too! Urgh! Disgusting! All of you!" And with that, Omi stormed from the room.

Or, at least he tried to. He found his wrist in a tight, almost bruising grip. Omi spun around and found a furious Ran with fire in his icy eyes.

"I forgave you for being a Takatori," Ran hissed, "and accepted you for who you were. I never hurt you for being a Takatori. Perhaps I might have in the beginning when you had just betrayed us by helping your brother, and jeopardized a mission. Fine, punish me for that, but Ken did nothing to you. Why punish him?"

Ran's voice went softer, barely above a whisper, but lost none of its intensity. "Why break him over this? Has he tried to kill you or make a move on you for you to mock him? You never had a problem before you knew, so why have one now?

"I thought you two were like brothers. At times, I was even jealous of the affection between you. Why throw it away? Why can't you accept us?" By then, Ran's voice had risen once again.

Omi froze at the emotion in Ran's voice, finding himself somewhat shocked that Ran had spoken so many words at one time, and with such emotion, too. He began to understand how stupid it had been of him to be so hateful to Ran and Ken. He looked over to Ken and froze at what he found.

Ken was sitting deadly still on the bed. His eyes stared straight ahead blankly, and they lacked the usual luster and joy that usually filled them to the brim. Yohji sat beside him, a gentle arm around his shoulders, worry and anger clear in his expression.

Omi couldn't believe that he had been that one to cause Ken to reach that stage. Sweet, innocent Ken, usually always filled with smiles, laugh, and life, now reduced to an unresponsive shell.

"See how much he cares about what you think of him?" Ran murmured from just behind Omi. "See how when you hate him, you break him? Now I need to know your decision. Are you able to accept us? If you're not, then either you leave Weiß, or Weiß leaves you." Ran took a calming breath before continuing.

"I love him too much to lose him because you. I'm sorry if you don't like the idea of a man loving a man, but get used to it if you don't want us to have to split with you. You're like a brother to me, but I'm not willing to lose Ken because of you. He's one of the few who have loved me back for me. I value you a lot, Omi, but Ken could never stand being in the same house as you if you hate him.

Ran bowed his slightly, praying to whatever god out there that was still willing to hear him for Omi not to reject Ken. He feared that Ken would never be the same if Omi couldn't accept him. No, he _knew_ that Ken would never be the same if Omi rejected him.

"Just be aware of one thing," Ran warned. "The damage to Ken will be permanent if you hate him."

Omi tentatively walked over to where Ken's shell sat on the bed. When he attempted to out his hand on Ken's arm, Yohji all but snarled at him, teeth bared.

"What?" Yohji sneered. "You wanna hurt him some more? Why don't you just stab him with one of your lil' darts? At least then you wouldn't be forcing him to die a long painful death." Omi flinched at Yohji's words, and suddenly realized that he must have hurt Yohji too through his little speech.

He had no idea to what extent, though. Unknown to the teen, Yohji sheltered a fondness for him that extended much beyond brotherliness. In fact, Yohji loved Omi, though he was reconsidering letting Omi know, for he feared rejection and disgust from his love. However, Yohji refused to show his pain. He had to remain strong. Yohji shook himself from his thoughts, and wondered what thoughts were going through Omi's deceiving cherubic head. Angels should not be able to cause so much pain.

Omi wondered if he had lost the three whom he valued the most because of his stupidity. He bowed his head to Yohji.

"I'm sorry," Omi whispered softly. "I guess that I overreacted a little-" Omi mended his words at Yohji incredulous look at the word 'little' "--well, a lot when I found out. I didn't mean to hurt you all. I didn't realize what I was saying. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." By then, Omi's voice began to shake, and tears slipped from the corners of Omi's eyes. Yohji's eyes softened slightly.

"Fine," Yohji said, voice gruff. "See if Ken can forgive you for your words. If he does, then I'll let myself forgive you. If not, then, well…" Yohji's voice trailed off, since the rest of the sentence was already apparent. Yohji was willing to sacrifice his love for Omi in order to protect Ken. After all, he was as close to a brother that he ever had.

Omi looked towards Ken, wondering if Ken would forgive him. Ken looked up into Omi's eyes and opened his mouth to speak.

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Yup. Well, there it is. I hope it turned out better than the version I had in before this. I changed Ken's reaction, and did my best to lessen up on Ran's rambling. Please review and tell me how it is.

Oh, and as always, don't forget to give the cat by the door some love on your way out. Otherwise it comes after me… Eep!


	7. 6: The Apology Process

Hey everyone. I'm back again. It's been awhile, eh? Well, here's a new chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and don't forget to give me some feedback, k?

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**Disclaimer:** Obviously... I don't own Weiß... Duh?

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"I—," Ken began, but choked on his tears, "I for-forgive you." Ken reached out to Omi with hesitance shining in his eyes, afraid that Omi would be repulsed by his touch. Omi took Ken's arm and used it to pull Ken into a warm embrace. Omi buried his face in Ken's shirt, and Ken felt Omi's tears quickly soaking through his shirt and seeping through to his skin. 

"I'm sorry for hurting you so much!" Omi sobbed. "I don't deserve your forgiv—"Omi was cut off by Ken's hand covering his mouth. Ken just shook his head at Omi and smiled.

Omi couldn't believe how he had ever felt disgust towards Ken, or how he had wanted to reject him. How stupid could he have been to be willing to lose such a great friend as Ken? Who else would forgive for so big of a fault?

Omi looked up at Ken with big, shining eyes. Ken just flashed Omi one of his sincere grins, although his eyes appeared to contain fear now. Omi mentally cursed himself for causing the fear to come into Ken's eyes. It was all because he had to go be an idiot and be fucking impulsive because of the pain that he was hiding from the others from a bullet wound he received during the mission. How could he be so light with something that could affect Ken so badly and scar him so deeply? What kind of friend was he, if he could bring himself to break Ken, regardless of any pain he was going through?

As though Ken could sense Omi's thoughts, he gave Omi a gentle squeeze of reassurance around his shoulders, luckily missing the wound on his arm. However, Omi could tell that Ken was still hesitant with whatever he did around him now. He was still natural, but Ken's personality seemed muted. Damn it! He might never be able to have the same companionship that he had used to have with Ken.

Ken looked at Omi and could tell that the kid was mentally beating himself up. Ken gently took Omi's chin and used it to turn Omi to face him.

"Hey chibi," Ken started, trying to liven Omi up a bit, "forget about what you said. I'll just pretend that that was the Takatori blood taking over in you for a lil' bit, and we'll go right back to the way that we used to be. That is… if you still wanna be. I can understand that this might be uncomfortable for you, with me being bi and you being straight and all."

Omi couldn't believe that he had been so willing and close to losing such a great and understanding friend as Ken all over their sexual orientations. Damn, and he was supposed to be a genius! What the hell was wrong with him? His fucking impulsiveness and fucking intolerance to pain, that's what! Damn it to hell and back! And then back again!

Ken watched Omi's face as it shifted from sad to furious within a second. Ken took a guess that Omi was still yelling at himself inside. It seemed to be an Omi-like thing to do, too. Ken sighed inwardly and just pet Omi on the head, hoping to snap Omi out of his self-scolding.

Omi snapped out of his inner conflict and turned big, tearful eyes to Ken. He opened his mouth to apologize again, but Ken just shook his head at Omi. Ken decided to attempt to form at least a semblance of normalcy, for the sake of easing some of the tension that was so think in the air, one could imagine cutting through it with a knife.

"Um, did the two of you have breakfast yet?" Ken asked, looking between Omi and Yohji. The blonde pair blinked at the sudden change in conversation. However, as they thought of food, their stomachs answered Ken's question for them. Omi blushed, and Yohji just shrugged.

"Apparently not," Yohji replied dryly, looking down at his stomach as it grumbled up at him again. Yohji shook his head at his stomach's impatient antics and headed out the door to go to the kitchen. He hoped that he could handle food with the massive hangover that he was sporting. He had learned to hide them from Aya early on as Aya only seemed to make his shift harder if he knew that he had a hangover. Damn it, but his head fucking hurt like hell! However, he had no choice but to hide it, since Ran was like a fucking hangover radar. He mentally braced himself for the oncoming encounter with food.

"Well chibi," Yohji started, "you comin' or not?" Omi tentatively looked at Yohji, remembering the older man's recent anger at him. Yohji looked over his shoulder, wondering why he had yet to hear Omi's soft footsteps padding over to him. He correctly interpreted Omi's hesitant look, for his eyes softened up at Omi.

"Oi, Ken forgave you," Yohji reassured, "so you're fine in my book. Ken wouldn't like it if I held a grudge in his name against one of his friends, now would you Ken?" Yohji added, turning his attention to Ken. Ken grinned and nodded, then proceeded to wave them out of the room. Omi turned back in the doorway.

"I really am sorry Ken. You have no idea how awful I feel for hurting you. Same to you two, too, Ran and Yohji. I wish I could take back everything that I said before. I wasn't thinking…" Omi looked behind him as arms snaked around his frame and pulled him into n embrace.

"Why don't you just leave the two lovebirds alone and make Uncle Yohji some breakfast, okay?" Omi stuck his tongue out at Yohji at his phrasing but allowed him to lead him downstairs to the kitchen anyways.

Only once Ken was alone with Ran did he finally relax fully. Even though Omi had apologized profusely and albeit the fact that Ken believe that those apologies where sincere, he still housed an inner fear that Omi would reject him if he made just one wrong move.

Ran noticed how Ken finally relaxed and gently guided his head to his lap, intent on keeping Ken happy and content.

Molten brown and bright amethyst met, and both minds were emptied of all coherent thought, aside from ones concerning the one at the other end of their gaze. Ken wondered how so much had happened in so little time. All he could figure was that their lives were in the hands of a higher being who probably had reason behind how their lives were playing out.

Ken snapped out of his thoughts to find Ran's lips slowly lowering towards his own. Ken felt his lips automatically part, and let himself drown in the passion that Ran was causing to surround him.

When Ken came back to his full senses after the mind-blowing kiss, he found himself lying in Ran's arms, his head pillowed by Ran's chest. Ken smiled contentedly, and decided to allow his life to play out as it willed… as long as he was able to stay with Ran.

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Aww... So cute, eh? Well, no cliffie here, but keep reading anyways. Some Yohji angst might be coming up soon, so watch out! 

Well, I hope that you liked this chapter... Whether you did or didn't, please drop me a review and let me know what about it was good and/or where I could definately use some improvement. Oh, and like always, don't forget to pet the cat on your way out! Sayonara minna!

Signed,

PrincessFlame91


	8. NEW CHAPTER

Heyy Minna! Sorry, this isn't a new chapter, but I just wanted to let you know that my last update was a new chapter. I know that some people might have skipped it since I used to have 8 chapters or something, but I just got rid of the entry about whether I should stop posting.

Oh, and I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and assuming that I haven't been getting reviews because of the reason addressed above. I'm expecting reviews this time around, though, and I'm not going to cut you any slack, as well. Pft! Like any of you care. Well, review anyways, or I won't be able to improve on my writing skills.

Oh, by the way, I'm starting a Gravitation fic, but I need someone's feedback on what I have so far. I'll leave what I have typed out of it so far below. Gah! I don't feel like transferring the rest of it to type as well! I'm soo lazy… LoL! Well, enjoy, minna!

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"Get out, you damn brat! And this time, damn it, _stay _the fuck out!" Yuki shouted at Shuichi, cold golden eyes flashing in anger. "Stop bothering me! I don't _care_ how your day went. I'm trying to get my work done. I have a deadline to meet this Thursday! Why would I want to waste my time listening to you?" Yuki's eyes then gained a malicious gleam. "Do you really think that all that shit matters to me? I just keep you around so that I can have a fuck whenever I want to. Why else do you think I keep you around?"

Shuichi stared at Yuki, oddly at a loss for words. He couldn't figure out what he had done for Yuki to become that angry at him.

Shuichi reached towards Yuki, for once, silent. Yuki glanced down his nose at Shuichi's hand and snorted. He turned away from Shuichi and stalked off to their, no, his bedroom. Shuichi remained where he was standing, frozen.

After a few minutes, Yuki returned from the bedroom with a duffel bag that was already half full with Shuichi's things that were in the bedroom. He walked throughout the apartment, dumping everything that he could find of Shuichi's into the bag.

Finally, he threw what he believed was the last thing in and turned to face Shuichi, ignoring the broken look that he could clearly see in Shuichi's eyes. Yuki stalked over to Shuichi, grabbed his arm roughly, and yanked him to the door. He vaguely noticed that it was storming outside, but ignored it.

"Now get out," Yuki hissed, "and don't come back this time. I don't ever want to see your face again! Got it?" And without waiting for a reply, Yuki yanked open the door and forcibly threw both Shuichi and his bag out the door and slammed it shut behind him.

Shuichi stared blankly at the door, half-expecting Yuki to open it again, tell his that it was all a joke, help him up, and lead him back into the warm apartment. However, after 10 minutes of waiting, Shuichi realized that Yuki meant it this time. He really didn't want Shuichi to be with him anymore. He wanted Shuichi to be gone, instead.

Shuichi felt grief rising up from his core, but realized that he had no tears left to shed. Instead, he was oddly numb.

Shuichi forced himself to get up and walked away, the rain instantly soaking him thoroughly and chilling him to the bone. He never noticed Yuki watching him from the window with cold eyes.

_Broken heart one more time._

_Pick yourself up. Why even cry?_

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Yes, I know this isn't a Weiß fic, but I'm not gonna update that until I get reviews, so yeah. Just decided to give you a random little treat (or poison, depending on how you view my work), even though none of you ever really review. Makes me loose confidence in my work, you know. I need feedback, so that I know that people are actually reading it. It's not the same as just looking at the stats. Knowing that people have looked at the chapter, yet not deemed it important enough to even give a few words about it sort of stings.

Well, whatever. You review, you get more chapters. You don't review, I don't feel like writing, and you don't get any chapters. So please just review. Please? Great, now I've been reduced to begging...

Signed,

PrincessFlame91

The kitty's mad, so she's not here right now. Maybe she'll come back when I get reviews? _  
_


	9. 7: Doubts Appeased

Hi everyone. I'm going to post one more chapter and see how the feedback goes on this. I understand now that you may not have reviewed because the chapter that I added wasn't part of 'The Beast'.

However, if I don't get any feedback on this chapter, then I seriously am going to discontinue this. I don't ever feel like writing it anymore because I think, 'Hey, it's not like anyone's even reading this! Why bother? I have better things to do!'

So please, if you really want me to continue writing this fic, please do review. It would be much appreciated.

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Ran quickly raced over to Ken and managed to pry the pillow away from his white-knuckled grasp. Ran gasped as he saw how blue Ken's lips had become. What would have happened to Ken if he had taken just a minute longer in the bathroom? Why the hell couldn't he learn not to leave Ken alone in his sleep like that? Damn it! Why was he so careless with Ken like that? Was he harming Ken more than he helped him?

Either way, he was past the point of no return. If he turned back now, he would break Ken beyond repair. If he stayed with Ken, he might give Ken a slow and painful demise. Well, then at least there would some hope that he could help Ken if he stayed with him. Ran would just have to change some of his habits. If he didn't, well, it was Ken's life on the line, so not changing was not an option. Besides, Ken's life mattered more to Ran than his own comfort any day.

Ran checked Ken's pulse and was relieved to feel it pulsing strongly under his index and middle fingers. Ran also noted how Ken was gaining his color back, and his lips weren't as blue. Ran sighed in relief and started to run his fingers through Ken's hair. Ran felt Ken relax under his touch.

How was it that he was the one who gave Ken pain, yet just his touch relieved him? Was it that the absence of his touch was what distressed Ken? Was he so lost without love or physical contact? Did he really need that touch to feel connected to reality? If that was so, then there was another topic that Ran needed to address when having his talk with Ken. Although it felt nice to be needed like that, it wasn't healthy at all for Ken, so there was no putting it off. It had to be addressed soon.

Speaking of which, it was almost lunchtime. Perhaps they should go out to that café that Ken had mentioned the other day. Well, if Ken was ready, that was. Ran didn't want to push Ken too near to the edge. He was already scared that Ken was too close to the edge of the cliff as it was. Just one little breeze might be all that was needed to blow Ken over the rim.

Ran decided to make his decision after Ken woke up. He would wake up soon anyways. Hardly anything could rule over Ken's stomach. A couple of minutes later, as though to prove Ran's theory, Ken's eyes slid blearily open, still heavy with sleep. Ken struggled to sit up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He slowly blinked at Ran, trying to gather his bearings.

"You're here!" Ken exclaimed in wonder. He expression quickly shifted to one of bitterness, though. "Where were you when Kase came in? He tried to kill me, yanno! I couldn't breathe!" By then, Ken's voice had shifted from his sleepy mumble to clear shouting. Ran gasped as he saw the resentment in Ken's eyes. "Why aren't' you with me when I need you! Why did you leave me!"

Omi and Yohji raced into the room, hearing the commotion. Omi still held his homework and pencil in his hands, and Yohji still held the phone from the mission room. Yohji paled slightly as he realized that he still held the phone. He silently mouthed Manx to the rest of Weiß. He hoped that Ken could keep his mouth shut in his anger. Otherwise, their team might no stay intact. Yohji looked pleadingly into Ken's eyes, hoping that he would see the reason behind holding his anger back. If he didn't… Well, who knew what Kritiker would do to them if they thought that Weiß was becoming dysfunctional.

Ken slumped slightly, his anger flowing out of his frame. Nothing mattered more to him than his new family. Not even his anger stood a chance against that love. Ken knew that if he didn't control his anger and his words, Kritiker might very well tear his family, odd as they were, apart. Yohji, Ran, and Omi relaxed in relief as they saw Ken let go of his anger for the time being.

Yohji stiffened when he heard Manx's voice come through the receiver. He made such an odd face at the phone before deciding to answer, that Ran decided, in Yohji's case, videophones were best left away from him. He drew himself out of his thoughts to hear why Manx would be calling them.

"Yeah, I'm still here." Yohji said. "Sorry about that. I was a bit distracted by someone outside the window. They definitely don't have as great legs as you do though." Yohji added, laying on the Kudou charm. He went silent for a bit, listening to Manx talk. "What? We have a mission? But we just had one two nights ago!"

Ken looked up as he registered the word 'mission', eyes acquiring an odd glint. As he observed the change in Ken, Ran strengthened his resolve to have that talk with Ken as soon as possible. Come to think of it, they had yet to eat lunch. Ran tried to catch Ken's eye, but Ken was drinking in Yohji's conversation like a man in the desert who hadn't seen cool water in days. Finally, losing his patience and unable to see Ken looking like that, Ran suddenly grabbed Ken by the wrist and dragged him out of the room.

Ken tried to twist out of Ran's grip, but Ran kept firm hold on him. There was no way in hell that he was going to put off having the talk with Ken any longer. They would just get the mission debriefing later. The talk had to come first, for who knew what could happen during their next mission. It might be a risk to let Ken go loose on a mission. For all they knew, Ken could go renegade and go after the rest of Weiß, losing sight of the line between target and comrade in his wildness. While Ran knew that Ken would more likely than not hold a grudge in the beginning, he was sure that Ken would be grateful for the restraint later.

Once in the safety of Ran's room, Ran relaxed his grip on Ken's arm. Ken immediately swung a punch aimed at Ran's face. Luckily, Ran had been anticipating that. He knew that although Ken's anger might have been held back when Manx called, he knew that Ken was like gas. Even if it seemed pretty calm when alone, if you put a match near it, everything could blow up. Ken's anger was pretty much the same. It would simmer until it boiled over.

Ran caught Ken's fist in his own hand and used the momentum to turn them around and trap Ken up against the wall. Sometimes, Ken required force in order to see reason. He wouldn't be able to stay still otherwise.

"Ken," Ran said calmly, "I cannot let you participate in this mission. Not until we figure out how to help you keep your head during missions. I don't want you endangering the rest of Weiß. I'm not saying that I want to get rid of you for being a possible threat; I just want to keep you from becoming one. I want to help you, Ken." Ran added, after seeing Ken's rejected and slightly fearful expression.

Ken wondered how Ran knew that that was what Ken wanted to talk abut. Actually, perhaps he didn't. After all, Ran was the one who had initiated the talk. But that meant that Ran had noticed his behavior during missions. Shit! Ken hoped that Omi had not included his behavior in the mission reports. That would definitely be bad.

But then, if Kritiker knew, then why would he still be in Weiß? Unless… Was he just an upcoming mission? Ken knew that Ran was a great actor. Ken had seen Ran at work during some missions before. At times, Ken found himself almost believing the act, only the fact that he knew the whole mission plan, as well as the fact that Ran could never make his eyes fully convey true strong emotions, keeping him from falling into the trap meant to catch the target.

Ken's body stiffened as he decided to never trust anyone from Weiß, no matter how sincere they seemed. He had had first-hand experience when it came to deception from trusted ones. It was exactly what Kase did to Ken. He led Ken to trust him, and then did a complete turn-around and almost killed Ken in the end with the scandal. For all Ken knew, that might be exactly what Weiß would do to him, with one minor alteration—Ken would not be left alive.

Ran watched Ken curiously, wondering about Ken's sudden shift in demeanor. What was he thinking about that could bring across such a change? Ran sighed as he thought back to Ken's mood swings. They were always unexpected and extreme.

Coming out of his thoughts, Ran blinked as he saw Ken's look of decisiveness. What was Ken thinking about? What was he making a decision on? What had he decided?

Suddenly, Ran realized that Ken's eyes were blocked and that he seemed to be masking his emotions. Did he decide that he didn't want Ran? Was Ran being too harsh on Ken? It was only because of his concern for Ken's well being. Without intending to, Ran accidentally let his hurt shine in his eyes.

Ken gasped as he saw the hurt in Ran's eyes. He was well aware of the fact that Ran could never fake such strong emotions. But then, that meant that Ken truly had hurt Ran! Ken had hurt the one whose only objective, looking back, was mainly to help him. Shit! Ran had never seemed to have any ulterior motives, either. Thinking back, Ken realized that if he hadn't been so blind during his relationship with Kase, it would have been clear what Kase really wanted from him. With his perverted suggestions, not so innocent touches, lustful stares, it was apparent what Kase really wanted. Never had Kase given Ken anything thoughtful during their relationship, never had he done a considerate act towards Ken without expecting something in return, never had he… loved Ken.

Ken emerged from his thoughts to find that Ran's eyes were back to the ice chips that Ken had been used to before they had become close. However, Ken could see upon closer scrutiny that Ran's practiced mask was cracked.

Ken realized that that unlike what he had previously believed so foolishly, he was not the only one who was liable to be hurt in their relationship. Ran was not some super-human, as Ken was coming to realize. He was just like everyone else. Just because he didn't show his emotions openly often didn't mean that he didn't have them. Ran, too, had his own share of insecurities. Shit! Ken was one of the few that Ran opened up to, and he went off and hurt him! Damn it!

Ran watched as the flurry of emotions passed through Ken's eyes. He blinked as he noted the guilt and regret that flitted across the surfaces of Ken's warm, chocolate eyes. Suddenly, with Ran's only warning being Ken's suddenly determined expression, Ran found himself glomped by Ken. Ran took a step back in surprise and met the wall, yet Ken didn't let go. Instead, his grip seemed to tighten around Ran's slim frame. Ran looked down and found himself pulled into Ken's apologetic eyes.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you!" Ken started, eyes bordering frantic, "I'm so sorry! I guess I'm still a bit scared of being in a relationship. I'm so sorry! I should know that I can trust you! I am so, so sorry!"

Suddenly, without warning, Ken sunk to the ground as self-loathing infiltrated him every pore for daring to doubt Ran. Ran had never done anything to make Ken's trust waver that could not be explained.

Ran quietly knelt in front of Ken and pulled him into a warm embrace. He gently pet Ken's hair and planted a warm, tender kiss on his brow. He blinked in surprise as Ken suddenly started to spurt out his past doubts about Ran, as well as the rest of Weiß, along with what had caused said doubts. Ran sat with Ken, quietly listening while comforting him and waiting for him to calm down.

After a little while, Ken's stream of words died out and he grew quiet, silently clinging to Ran. They sat together for a few minutes before Ran pulled them both up. He knew that sitting on the floor for so long did not bring about much comfort to one's body. Ran led Ken to sit on the edge of his bed and settled down next to him. His hands found Ken's and he waited for Ken's head to come and for his molten chocolate eyes to meet his own amethyst crystals.

A few minutes passed before Ken lifted his head and looked up at Ran, wondering why he wasn't saying anything. Ken found himself drowning in the emotion-filled amethyst depths. It appeared as though Ran had knocked down any and all barriers around his heart and emotions. Ken realized that he would easily be able to tell if Ran lied to him. Feeling as though if he waited to long, Ran would close up again, Ken quickly asked the question that had been playing at the back of his mind since he woke up.

"Where were you when I was having my nightmare?" Ken asked, carefully scrutinizing Ran's eyes. Ran blinked a few times and cocked his head slightly before he reluctantly answered Ken's question.

"I had to use the toilet." Ran mumbled sheepishly, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He watched as Ken winced, an expression of guilt clearly dominating his features. He looked up at Ran with big apologetic eyes.

"I'm so sorry!" Ken exclaimed, horror spreading across his face. "Oh," he moaned, "why do I always do this?" Ran chuckled and pulled Ken into a warm cuddle session. However, they were soon interrupted.

Both of the heads snapped up as they registered the sound of clicking heels approaching. Their eyes fell on the doorway where Manx leaned, a smirk gracing his lips.

* * *

Yup. There it is, minna! I hope you liked it... I wrote it a couple of months ago, and looking back, I know I could have done a lot better, but I don't really feel like redoing it, so yeah. Please review this chapter, or I will discontinue this fic. You have no excuses this time around if you don't review it, so please do. Thank you, to those of you who do review.

Signed,

PrincessFlame92


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